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From my naive understanding based on reading the article, I don't see how sledding is any more of a sport than a video game combined with fear tolerence.
> On Feb. 22, 2013, Morris attached an accelerometer to his helmet, then launched his body down a 1,500-meter track at the sliding center in Whistler, British Columbia, which is considered the fastest track in the world and was a venue for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Bobsleigh has been a feature of the Winter Olympics since 1924 [1]. Yet it might have taken until 2013 for someone to measure its g force on its athletes'…
Except measuring G-forces acting on a helmet doesn't directly relate to the forces acting on the head within it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Except measuring G-forces acting on a helmet doesn't directly relate to the forces acting on the head within it.
Why not? To me (a layperson in the physics of helmets and brains), they would seem to be quite directly related, especially when the cause of the gees is not related to an impact.
Your head is in a suspension within the helmet, much like your brain is in a suspension within the skull.
Your skull can accelerate at extremely high G's without harming the brain as long as it stays well within the modulus of the suspension. i.e. not for too long. The helmet adds another suspension on top of this.
> On Feb. 22, 2013, Morris attached an accelerometer to his helmet, then launched his body down a 1,500-meter track at the sliding center in Whistler, British Columbia, which is considered the fastest track in the world and was a venue for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Bobsleigh has been a feature of the Winter Olympics since 1924 [1]. Yet it might have taken until 2013 for someone to measure its g force on its athletes'…
Except measuring G-forces acting on a helmet doesn't directly relate to the forces acting on the head within it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why not? To me (a layperson in the physics of helmets and brains), they would seem to be quite directly related, especially when the cause of the gees is not related to an impact.
The helmet is padded. Your head is in a suspension within the helmet, much like your brain is in a suspension within the skull. Your skull can accelerate at extremely high G's without harming the brain as long as it stays well within the modulus of the suspension. i.e. not for too long. The helmet adds another suspension on top of this.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The helmet is padded. Your head is in a suspension within the helmet, much like your brain is in a suspension within the skull. Your skull can accelerate at extremely high G's without harming the brain as long as it stays well within the modulus of the suspension. i.e. not for too long. The helmet adds another suspension on top of this.
You are confusing the ability to sustain the g-force by the brain with the force experienced. A padding on the helmet helps in event of collision, not the g-force which is due to the acceleration
This seems totally unacceptable. We should stop having this sport in the Olympics (implicitly supporting this madness) -- of course athletes are free to do as they chose, but we cannot encourage such pointless self-destruction and misery. An alternative to save the sport is completely redesign it to limit maximum accelerations. Usually injuries follow power laws so I doubt even that much reduction would be necessary…
Now it’s a few years later and cars have again advanced to the point that drivers pull more than 5 lateral G in some corners. It’s kinda bonkers.
I wonder if something like the HANS device could be useful in sledding. Or those neck protectors motocross riders use. Might keep heads from banging around as much.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Except measuring G-forces acting on a helmet doesn't directly relate to the forces acting on the head within it.
Are you perhaps confusing impact with g-force? A good analogy would be a fighter pilot or an astronaut. The g-force is felt all over the body irrespective of whether you are wearing a suit or not.